SAINT LUCIA  – For the second time in its history, the beautiful island of Saint Lucia will stage the Digicel St. Lucia International Triathlon come November 22, 2014.The world-class event which is receiving technical and logistical support from the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, has also been able to attract Double Gold Olympic champion Daley Thompson as event ambassador. This year the Triathlon is also pleased to welcome Olympic Silver medalist, World Champion and BBC commentator Steve Cram who will join the team.

The Olympic legends will be introduced to media and by extension the general public via a press conference on Saint Lucia on Wednesday, November 19th at the Landings in Gros Islet.

Event Director and former Olympic competition manager for the Olympic triathlon in London, John Lunt noted, “We are delighted to welcome Steve and Daley back to the Digicel St. Lucia Triathlon. It’s great for the event and great for sport awareness on the island and am sure having them around will make a fabulous addition to the offering.”

Daley Thompson commented, “It’s wonderful to be coming back to St. Lucia and am immensely proud of the fact that we are invited back each year to this beautiful and welcoming island.”The St. Lucia Triathlon will be the culmination of a week-long festival of fun activities hosted by Tri St Lucia. These include a beach run on Wednesday (5pm), an aquathlon (swim and run) 8am Thursday, and a 2km ocean swim at 8am on Friday morning. Designed with all ages and fitness levels in mind, these activities will provideholidaymakers and Saint Lucians with a taste of the overall triathlon event, offering families, couples and single people the opportunity to take part.

With three separate competitive distances available, the course includes a swim in the beautiful clear waters of Rodney Bay, then a tough hilly and a challenging bike ride and finally the run loop to Pigeon Island and back. These distances can be done individually or as a relay team of 2 or 3 people. Event distances include:

• The Dagger: 200m swim, 6.6km bike, 2.5km run

• The Pistol: 750m swim, 13.2km bike, 5km run

• The Cutlass: 1500m swim, 26.4km bike, 10km run

Children’s multi-sport events:

• 11am 5-9yr olds triathlon: 100m swim/800m bike /800m run

• 11:30am 9-15yrs Aquathlon: swim 200m and then run 800m.

• 12 noon Special needs event: 100m swim and 800m run/wheelchair push

To date the Digicel Tri St. Lucia Triathlon has attracted participants from almost a dozen countries, among them are USA, Canada, UK, Switzerland, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Dominica, Puerto Rico, St Vincent and Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and host country Saint Lucia.